MyAiConfiguration/shared/skills/content-strategy/references/pillars-and-keywords.md

Content Pillars and Keyword Research

Content Pillars and Topic Clusters

Content pillars are the 3-5 core topics your brand will own. Each pillar spawns a cluster of related content.

Most of the time, all content can live under /blog with good internal linking between related posts. Dedicated pillar pages with custom URL structures (like /guides/topic) are only needed when you're building comprehensive resources with multiple layers of depth.

How to Identify Pillars

1. Product-led: What problems does your product solve?
2. Audience-led: What does your ICP need to learn?
3. Search-led: What topics have volume in your space?
4. Competitor-led: What are competitors ranking for?

Pillar Structure

Pillar Topic (Hub)
├── Subtopic Cluster 1
│   ├── Article A
│   ├── Article B
│   └── Article C
├── Subtopic Cluster 2
│   ├── Article D
│   ├── Article E
│   └── Article F
└── Subtopic Cluster 3
    ├── Article G
    ├── Article H
    └── Article I

Pillar Criteria

Good pillars should:

• Align with your product/service
• Match what your audience cares about
• Have search volume and/or social interest
• Be broad enough for many subtopics

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Keyword Research by Buyer Stage

Map topics to the buyer's journey using proven keyword modifiers:

Awareness Stage

Modifiers: "what is," "how to," "guide to," "introduction to"

Example: If customers ask about project management basics:

• "What is Agile Project Management"
• "Guide to Sprint Planning"
• "How to Run a Standup Meeting"

Consideration Stage

Modifiers: "best," "top," "vs," "alternatives," "comparison"

Example: If customers evaluate multiple tools:

• "Best Project Management Tools for Remote Teams"
• "Asana vs Trello vs Monday"
• "Basecamp Alternatives"

Decision Stage

Modifiers: "pricing," "reviews," "demo," "trial," "buy"

Example: If pricing comes up in sales calls:

• "Project Management Tool Pricing Comparison"
• "How to Choose the Right Plan"
• "[Product] Reviews"

Implementation Stage

Modifiers: "templates," "examples," "tutorial," "how to use," "setup"

Example: If support tickets show implementation struggles:

• "Project Template Library"
• "Step-by-Step Setup Tutorial"
• "How to Use [Feature]"